Header image
Enter a name
Artistic view of a Male Pteronarcys californica (Pteronarcyidae) (Giant Salmonfly) Stonefly Adult from the Gallatin River in Montana
Salmonflies
Pteronarcys californica

The giant Salmonflies of the Western mountains are legendary for their proclivity to elicit consistent dry-fly action and ferocious strikes.

Case view of a Pycnopsyche guttifera (Limnephilidae) (Great Autumn Brown Sedge) Caddisfly Larva from the Yakima River in Washington
It's only barely visible in one of my pictures, but I confirmed under the microscope that this one has a prosternal horn and the antennae are mid-way between the eyes and front of the head capsule.

I'm calling this one Pycnopsyche, but it's a bit perplexing. It seems to key definitively to at least Couplet 8 of the Key to Genera of Limnephilidae Larvae. That narrows it down to three genera, and the case seems wrong for the other two. The case looks right for Pycnopsyche, and it fits one of the key characteristics: "Abdominal sternum II without chloride epithelium and abdominal segment IX with only single seta on each side of dorsal sclerite." However, the characteristic "metanotal sa1 sclerites not fused, although often contiguous" does not seem to fit well. Those sclerites sure look fused to me, although I can make out a thin groove in the touching halves in the anterior half under the microscope. Perhaps this is a regional variation.

The only species of Pycnopsyche documented in Washington state is Pycnopsyche guttifera, and the colors and markings around the head of this specimen seem to match very well a specimen of that species from Massachusetts on Bugguide. So I am placing it in that species for now.

Whatever species this is, I photographed another specimen of seemingly the same species from the same spot a couple months later.
27" brown trout, my largest ever. It was the sub-dominant fish in its pool. After this, I hooked the bigger one, but I couldn't land it.
Troutnut is a project started in 2003 by salmonid ecologist Jason "Troutnut" Neuswanger to help anglers and fly tyers unabashedly embrace the entomological side of the sport. Learn more about Troutnut or support the project for an enhanced experience here.

Keystoner
Keystoner's profile picture
Eugene, OR - formerly Eastern PA

Posts: 145
Keystoner on Oct 25, 2011October 25th, 2011, 8:01 pm EDT
Just a really good video! I watched this every night for about a week when I first started.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uvSDjHgo0UY
"Out into the cool of the evening, strolls the Pretender. He knows that all his hopes and dreams, begin and end there." -JB
Jesse
Jesse's profile picture
Posts: 378
Jesse on Oct 25, 2011October 25th, 2011, 9:58 pm EDT
Ive got the actual movie it's great stuff.
Most of us fish our whole lives..not knowing its not the fish that we are after.
http://www.filingoflyfishing.com
Sayfu
Posts: 560
Sayfu on Oct 26, 2011October 26th, 2011, 4:47 am EDT

One of Gary Borger's contributions for me, was his finishing knot for the fly. No tool, just twice under, pull up, and a drop of cement, and done. That was year's ago, and I have never used a tool since. Gary's comment was after showing you how simple the knot was..."Are we tying the fly to fish with?...or wearing it in our lapel? Gary had me hooked 100%.
Oldredbarn
Oldredbarn's profile picture
Novi, MI

Posts: 2600
Oldredbarn on Oct 26, 2011October 26th, 2011, 6:18 am EDT
Wait a minute!? What's going on here on TroutNut this morning? Creno dumps a pile of wonderful stuff in our laps from the Lloyd collection, on another thread North Country Spiders,another has tips on tying with snowshoe rabbit hair, and now fly-fishing with Borger...And no rants from Spence!!!

Maybe that baptist out west, or where ever he is, was right...The world ended a few days ago and we are in an angler's version of heaven...Glad to see you all made it through to the other side...:)

There is just too much for one fella to digest here at one time today...Thanks!

Spence

"Even when my best efforts fail it's a satisfying challenge, and that, after all, is the essence of fly fishing." -Chauncy Lively

"Envy not the man who lives beside the river, but the man the river flows through." Joseph T Heywood
Keystoner
Keystoner's profile picture
Eugene, OR - formerly Eastern PA

Posts: 145
Keystoner on Oct 26, 2011October 26th, 2011, 7:31 pm EDT
See Spence, dreams really can come true!!!
"Out into the cool of the evening, strolls the Pretender. He knows that all his hopes and dreams, begin and end there." -JB

Quick Reply

Related Discussions

Topic
Replies
Last Reply
4
May 3, 2010
by Oldredbarn
4
Mar 5, 2021
by Martinlf
11
Aug 3, 2013
by Sayfu
7
May 26, 2012
by Birdsnestfl
5
Mar 26, 2012
by Martinlf
Troutnut.com is copyright © 2004-2024 (email Jason). privacy policy